Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility. And

Abstract

Growth performance, nutrient digestibility, total faecal bacterial count (TBC), cellulose activity (CEA) as mg glucose released dry faeces/30 min, total faecal volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration and pH were determined using two groups of five littermate pairs of pigs (initial weight, 8.0-12.0 kg) fed one of two 18.6 per cent crude protein diets (A and B) containing crude fibre levels of 6.2 (control) and 13.6 per cent (high fibre), respectively, over a 42-day period. Faecal samples were collected from all pigs on day 0, 7, 14, 21, 35, and 42. Pigs fed the high fibre diet consumed significantly (P~O.01) more feed and more digestible energy, had inferior (P~O.OO feed conversion ratios and less